World Cup bid spells trouble for AFL, NRL and rugby union in Australia

[travelling_gerry]

By Paul Malone

June 16, 2009 12:00am


To: Mr Andrew Demetriou, AFL, Melbourne. CC: Mr David Gallop, NRL, Sydney. Mr John O'Neill, ARU, Sydney.
Dear sirs,
Thank you for your kind offers to be very supportive of our use of grounds in Australia for the FIFA World Cup, which as you will know, has been awarded to Australia in 2022.

We'll need - how do you say in Australia? - first crack at the MCG, Docklands Stadium, ANZ Stadium, Suncorp Stadium, Sydney Cricket Ground, Subiaco and other stadiums for a period of one month in 2022. We will need every other crack in that time as well.

We will also require a period of 14 days without other events before the tournament to ensure the playing fields are in good order and also dress the stadium for our corporate partners.

Sure you will understand. See you in 2022!

Yours in sport,

Joseph S (Sepp) Blatter,

FIFA president.

When a spokesman for the AFL trotted out a stiffly uttered statement of support for Australia's bid to stage the World Cup of football yesterday, it was the comment which had to be voiced.

But behind the facade, a lengthening list of worries for bosses of our two biggest football competitions and rugby's Wallabies will descend on them if Blatter announces next year that Australia will host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.

"We're very supportive of it," a spokesman for AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said yesterday.

"But we haven't received any information in regard to the use of our grounds, or any other details."

Well, fellas, how does the phrase "hiatus for three or four weeks" grab you?

A look at the match and venue schedule for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa shows the scale of headaches to befall the NRL, AFL, and the ARU if Sepp and his cronies on the 24-man FIFA executive decide Australia has more to offer than the US or a European option.

The 2010 World Cup runs from June 11-July 11.

Unlike the Olympics, it is locked into the June-July period every four years because of football's club competitions around the world.

FFA says new FIFA requirements are for the host country to supply 12 stadiums, each with a minimum capacity of 45,000. Yes, 12, but back to that little problem later.

Transpose those World Cup dates to the current NRL, AFL and Australian rugby seasons and the tournament would have covered one Origin match, five rounds of NRL, four AFL rounds and three Wallaby Tests.

Try telling your ardent Collingwood, Broncos or West Coast fans that their teams have to make themselves scarce from their home grounds for a month to make way for games from another code of football.

The NRL and AFL could play games at places such as Shark Park, Geelong, Penrith or Carlton, but the competitions have deliberately adopted the biggest stadiums at the expense of suburban football.

What's that? Play the AFL, league and rugby games in gaps in the World Cup schedule?

Well, in South Africa, eight separate stadiums will have games every three days, on average, for the first 18 days of the competition. After that, with the group matches over and the knockout section under way, three stadiums will stage three games each and two others have two each.

The South Africans are utilising 10 stadiums in nine cities.

FIFA's requirement to have a minimum of 12 stadiums is rendered even more interesting by FFA chief executive Ben Buckley's claim yesterday that all states and territories would host games if the FFA had its wish.

Count in two or three stadiums from Sydney (ANZ, Sydney Cricket Ground and possibly Sydney Football Stadium), two in Melbourne, Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, Perth's Subiaco, the Gold Coast Stadium and one in Adelaide.

Australia's organisers would then need to bring up to 45,000 capacity another three or four stadiums from the cities of Canberra, Tasmania, Darwin, Townsville or Newcastle.

Buckley said there had been preliminary talks with the major competitions of a normal Australian winter and the FFA had received expressions of support. The other codes understand what a FIFA World Cup would do for Australia, he said.

Like they had a choice. The Federal Government is on board. The state governments have hitched to the wagon. It would be back-scratching time.

But privately, the AFL, NRL and ARU will wipe their brows in December, 2010, if FIFA rejects Australia. Seven long years of anticipation of the world's most popular sporting event coming to their back yards would be bad, but football's extra popularity from actually hosting it would be worse.


http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...003412,00.html

[mudskipper]

Stadium up grades would be nice...

[Thequeerone]

JON will be rubbing his hands in glee - 3 tests in HK ok mybe 2 and 1 in Japan.

Would also put money on Spewbi not being suitable not because of it's shape but something else like a warmup field not being close enough - that is how they didn't get the commonwealth games

[Flamethrower]

They can have Subi for as long as they want

[Burgs]

With that long to plan for it I would imagine that SANZAR would agree to bring forward the 3N in competition with the Wallabies playing their away matches, or perhaps the Wallabies will organise a month tour to Hong Kong, Japan, California and Argentina.

[jargan83]

Rugby would not be affected other then 3 June tests as this will be happenning under the expanded Super 14, how long that format stays however.....

Stadium up grades would be nice...

Stadium upgrades will go ahead, with the already discussed potential upgrade to SFS to 55,000, Melbourne has also stated that their new 30,000 seat rectangular ground could be upgraded to 50,000 (then possibly reduced back to to 30,000). Perth's alleged potential new rectangular ground will have the potential to be expanded to 40,000 (then reduced again)

Would also put money on Spewbi not being suitable not because of it's shape but something else like a warmup field not being close enough - that is how they didn't get the commonwealth games

Football Federation Australia has already stated publicly to the WAFC that Subiaco Oval will not be considered as a World Cup Venue. They have also said the same to whoever control's AMMI Stadium in Adelaide

[mudskipper]

I like to see the Canberra Stadium stands finished on the Northern and Southern ends...

It would look much better on my wide screen...

[Burgs]

Canberra matches during the June-July window...I guess it would make the NH teams feel at home.

Not sure but wasn't there something previously about FIFA not allowing temp seating?

[jargan83]

I like to see the Canberra Stadium stands finished on the Northern and Southern ends...

They can't even fill a 25,000 seat stadium down there

Not sure but wasn't there something previously about FIFA not allowing temp seating?

They got away with it for the Olympics in regards to Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium) so I would imagine it will be that kind of temporary, not Family Stand at MES temporary.

[shasta]

Perth's alleged potential new rectangular ground will have the potential to be expanded to 40,000 (then reduced again)

That's the part that has a little alarm bell ringing in the back of my mind to be honest. Wasn't the power station site mentioned by Barney Rubble just after the visit from the FFA?

"Ok boys 'n' girls we're gonna build a new rectangle after all. Should have it finished in about 9 years. In the mean time MES is a great little temporary home, Right?

"OK Andrew. Now we've shut that lot up, what can we do for you in the meantime." Wink, wink.

[Burgs]

I'll swallow my pride for a moment and admit to using said seats for the Olympic Football Final. The other end from the flame.
Was awesome atmosphere but if you reckon you are a long way from the action at Subi!!!
I'll try and dig out the photos next time I am at the farm and scan them in.
Not suggesting they would be that big at MOS, just for general interest.

[shasta]

Was awesome atmosphere but if you reckon you are a long way from the action at Subi!!!

Sat in them right behind where Kefu scored the winner in Ealsey's last Test. Coulda done with an oxygen bottle and still a hundred yards from the tryline.

[Sheikh]

Not sure but wasn't there something previously about FIFA not allowing temp seating?

They can't even fill a 25,000 seat stadium down there

They got away with it for the Olympics in regards to Stadium Australia (ANZ Stadium) so I would imagine it will be that kind of temporary, not Family Stand at MES temporary.

The IOC and FIFA are different. The IOC may allow you to get away from temporary seating as they realise that athletics stadia tend not to get 45,000 people except for major events.
FIFA are much more pig-headed about that kind of thing; they'll demand 45,000 seat stadia with no temporary seating as 45,000 people turn up to watch top-grade soccer matches in Europe and South America. If FFA tell FIFA that they'll build for 30,000 with 15,000 temporary seats FIFA are likely to turn them down.
FIFA don't care if you play in half-empty stadia once the World Cup's over. They're currently blaming South Africa for the Confederations Cup matches being only half-full and saying that the organisers ought to give away the remaining tickets to ensure the stadia are full.
Didn't the Chinese do something similar at the Olympics?

[AndyS]

Oh yeah, I am real worried about something in, say, 2022! I can't see Aussie Rules waiting 'til then, so something will have been done with, or done to replace, Subi by then. That will be the major stadium, so they can have at it - I doubt Perth would be expected to provide two stadia. So, we might even be in the position of having one of the few rectangular stadia not in use for soccer....maybe we'll get one of the June Tests!

[Weebie]

I love Football and Rugby but FIFA are very pig headed and IMHO by the tim 2018 comes around maybe only suncorp will be eligable venue. even ANZ and the MCG will need some form of upgrade by then.

Also another thing neglected was that possesion of the stadiums must be surrended to FIFA 2 months before the tournament.

If australia were to host it 2018 or 2022 for football codes in Australia would be a write off. But we won't get it as cool as it would be and $100 says Perth won't be a host city....it's too far away